The present invention relates to an information presentation apparatus and a method to transform an annotation related with time series data according to any change in the time series data while outputting the time series data.
In present systems, a user can input an annotation to a dynamic image displayed on a portable terminal using a pointing device. This input method is classified into the following two types.
Another screen type (The annotation is written on an area different from a screen displaying the dynamic image)
Same screen type (The annotation is written on the screen displaying the dynamic image)
In the another screen type, the user inputs the annotation as handwriting character on the area different from the screen. For example, this method is well known as shown in Japanese Patent disclosure (Kokai) PH2-56069. However, in this method, the user can not indicate a part of the dynamic image related to the annotation on the screen.
In the same screen type, the user inputs the annotation by handwriting a character on the screen displaying the dynamic image. In this method, the annotation is directly written on the dynamic image. For example, a circle mark is added to a human face image by handwriting. In short, the user can input the annotation by indicating a related part of the dynamic image.
The same screen type is further classified into following two types.
Static image type (The annotation is input by stopping update of the dynamic image on the screen)
Direct type (The annotation is input while updating the dynamic image on the screen)
In the static image type, the update of the dynamic image on the screen is stopped while the user writes the annotation. This method is well known as shown in Japanese Patent Disclosure (Kokai) PH10-28250. In this case, a method to memorize the annotation is the same as writing on the static image. A frame (one image) to which the annotation is added is displayed as a representative image of the dynamic images neighboring this frame. For example, the representative image is used for retrieving the user""s desired dynamic image. Furthermore, in case of playing the dynamic image including this frame, the annotation is continuously displayed with not only this frame but also following images in order to show existence of the annotation.
However, in the static image type, update of the dynamic image on the display is stopped during inputting the annotation. Therefore, the user can not confirm the dynamic image for this period. Furthermore, in case of playing the dynamic image including the annotation, for example, in case of adding the handwritten circle mark to the person face image on display, the content of the dynamic image changes after several seconds pass. As a result, the circle mark indicates another part on the image. In short, even if the content of the dynamic image largely changes on the display, the annotation remains at the same position on the display and the user is confused by watching this dynamic image.
On the other hand, in the direct type, the annotation is added while updating the dynamic image on the display. For example, in the case of explaining of baseball, a commentator traces a locus of a ball on the display by using a handwriting pen while playing the dynamic image of movement of the ball. In this method, the user can updately write the locus of the ball in proportion to changes in the movement of the ball on the display. However, in the case of adding a circle mark surrounding the ball on the display by handwriting, the content of the dynamic image continuously changes on the display during the user""s writing the circle mark. As a result, the user mistakenly writes a distorted shape mark (the annotation) for the ball. In short, the dynamic image continuously changes over time. Therefore, the user""s annotation is not matched with the content of the dynamic image on the display over the passage of time.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an information presentation apparatus and a method to display an annotation matched to the content of the dynamic image while displaying the dynamic image changing over time.
According to the present invention, there is provided an information presentation apparatus, comprising: data input means for inputting time series data changeable by passage of time in order; annotation input means for inputting an annotation related to at least one of the time series data; transformation means for transforming the annotation according to a correlation between the annotation and the time series data to be outputted; and output means for outputting the transformed annotation combined with the time series data.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is also provided an information presentation method, comprising the steps of: inputting time series data changeable by passage of time in order; inputting an annotation related to at least one of the time series data; transforming the annotation according to correlation between the annotation and the time series data to be outputted; and outputting the transformed annotation combined with the time series data.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is also provided computer readable memory containing computer readable instructions, comprising: instruction means for causing a computer to input time series data changeable by passage of time in order; instruction means for causing a computer to input an annotation related to at least one of the time series data; instruction means for causing a computer to transform the annotation according to correlation between the annotation and the time series data to be outputted; and instruction means for causing a computer to output the transformed annotation by combining with the time series data.